The invention relates to shoulder carriers having a lumbar support.
Shoulder carriers, such as backpacks, golf bags, garment bags, mail-carrier bags, etc., are widely used and are available in a variety of different special-use and general purpose configurations. For example, backpacks are available for carrying small children, for carrying relatively large amounts of weight for extended hiking or cold-weather travel, for carrying schoolbooks, etc. Several such examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,108; 3,902,640; 4,384,602; 5,526,969; 5,529,229; and 5,547,461.
Shoulder carriers typically require most of the weight of the carrier to be borne on the shoulders of the wearer. This weight distribution causes the wearer to not stand with proper posture (i.e., straight), and thus can lead to back injuries, muscles strains or other problems. In addition, overloading of the wearer""s shoulders can itself cause injuries, such as strain of the trapezius muscle, pinching of nerves near the spine, etc.
Some shoulder carriers, such as technical backpacks used for multi-day hiking trips disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,461, use a hip belt to transfer weight of the carrier to the hips or lumbar region of a wearer""s back, thereby decreasing the amount of weight on the wearer""s shoulders. However, such solutions require a hip belt that is tightened around the wearer""s hips for the weight transfer to be effective. Without the hip belt, no weight transfer to the hips or lumbar region would occur.
The invention provides a shoulder carrier having at least one shoulder strap and a lumbar support connected to a container. In one aspect of the invention, weight of items in the container, as well as of the carrier itself, can be borne on a wearer""s shoulders as well as on the hip or lumbar region of the wearer""s back without using a hip belt. Weight of the carrier is transferred to the wearer""s hip or lumbar region, at least in part, by the lumbar support. Weight transfer is achieved by the lumbar support resting on the wearer""s hip or lumbar region using the unique features of the invention, thus transferring weight away from the shoulder and making the carrier seem lighter to the wearer. Weight transfer may be enhanced by the way in which a shoulder strap is attached to the carrier container. As used herein, the term shoulder carrier refers to any device for carrying weight that includes at least one shoulder strap to transfer weight of a carrier to a shoulder of the wearer. Examples of a shoulder carrier are a garment bag, mail-carrier bag, golf bag, backpack, briefcase, etc. The term lumbar support refers to a resilient portion of the shoulder carrier that can be used to contact and transfer weight of the carrier to a wearer""s lumbar region of the back or hips. Thus, the term lumbar support does not preclude an arrangement in which weight of the shoulder carrier is transferred only to a wearer""s hip, and not the lumbar region of the wearer""s back.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier is a single strap carrying bag with a lumbar support. Thus, unlike conventional bags having only a single shoulder strap, the single strap shoulder carrier according to this aspect of the invention allows weight of the bag to be transferred to a wearer""s hip or lumbar region of the back in addition to the wearer""s shoulder.
In one aspect of the invention, the lumbar support includes an inflatable bladder.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier can include a waist strap to help maintain proper positioning of the carrier on the wearer""s body. The waist strap need not be intended to help transfer weight to a wearer""s hip, but rather serve only to keep the lumbar support in contact with the wearer.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap passes through a guide attached to the container near a top of the lumbar support, extends below the lumbar support adjacent the container, and is attached near a bottom of the container. The guide can be positioned on a back portion of the container nearest the wearer, or be positioned on a side portion of the container. Similarly, the strap can be attached to the container on a back portion of the container nearest the wearer or along a side portion of the container. The portion of the shoulder strap that extends between the guide and where the strap is attached to the container can extend over the lumbar support or along a side of the lumbar support. The portion of the strap between the guide and where the strap is attached to the container may not be attached to the container or the lumbar support. Attaching a shoulder strap according to this aspect of the invention may enhance weight transfer to the wearer""s hip or lumbar region of the back.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap includes a pad to more comfortably and resiliently distribute force of the shoulder strap to the wearer""s shoulder. The pad can include an inflatable bladder and may have several compartments having a roughly rectangular pillow shape, e.g., to facilitate bending of the strap to conform to a wearer""s shoulder without kinking.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder strap pad is slidably attached to the shoulder strap.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier includes a shoulder pad that is slidably attached to the shoulder strap and has a fluid-filled bladder. The lumbar support also includes a fluid-filled bladder. The shoulder strap passes through a guide attached to the container near an upper portion of the lumbar support and extends down to a lower portion of the container where the strap is attached. A waist belt can also be included to keep the shoulder carrier in a desired position relative to the wearer, but not necessarily for transferring weight of the carrier to the wearer""s hip or back.
The invention also provides a method for positioning a shoulder carrier on a wearer. A shoulder carrier having at least one strap, and no hip belt that is intended to carry weight on the hips of a wearer, is positioned so that a lumbar support of the carrier contacts a lumbar area or hip area of the wearer. Other portions of the carrier, except for the at least one shoulder strap, need not contact any portion of the wearer. By properly positioning the shoulder carrier, weight of the carrier is transferred to the lumbar area or hip without using a hip belt.
In one aspect of the invention, a length of the at least one shoulder strap is adjusted to properly position the lumbar support on the wearer.
In one aspect of the invention, an air pressure in the lumbar support is adjusted to provide varying weight transfer and comfort characteristics.
In one aspect of the invention, a waist strap is attached around the wearer to keep the shoulder carrier in a desired position on the wearer.
Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent and/or obvious from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.